Commonwealth Journal of Local Governancehttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg
<p>A peer-reviewed journal that aims to strengthen the research voice of local government in the Commonwealth by providing a forum for researchers and practitioners interested in local government ideas and practices. Its overall focus is upon improving local governance and supporting local government as an agent of development. The journal is auspiced by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (UK), edited by Cardiff University (UK), and published by the UTS Centre for Local Government.</p><p><strong>This journal does not charge any type of article processing charge (APC) or any type of article submission charge.</strong> </p><p><a title="https://doajournals.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/doaj-seal-is-now-live-on-the-site/" href="https://doajournals.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/doaj-seal-is-now-live-on-the-site/"><img src="/journals/public/site/images/admin/doaj_seal_logo_medium4.png" alt="" /></a></p><div><a title="Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance" href="https://doaj.org/toc/1836-0394">https://doaj.org/toc/1836-0394</a> </div>en-US<p>Authors who submit articles to this journal from 31st March 2014 for publication, agree to the following terms:</p><p>a) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution License</a> that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.</p><p>b) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.</p><p>c) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See <a href="http://sparceurope.org/oaca/">The Open Access Citation Advantage Service</a>). Where authors include such a work in an institutional repository or on their website (ie. a copy of a work which has been published in a UTS ePRESS journal, or a pre-print or post-print version of that work), we request that they include a statement that acknowledges the UTS ePRESS publication including the name of the journal, the volume number and a web-link to the journal item.</p><p>d) Authors should be aware that the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License permits readers to share (copy and redistribute the work in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the work) for any purpose, even commercially, provided they also give appropriate credit to the work, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. They may do these things in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests you or your publisher endorses their use.</p><p>For Issue 13/14, and all issues before, the following copyright applied:</p><p>Authors submitting a paper to UTSePress publications agree to assign a limited license to UTSePress if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication. This license allows UTSePress to publish a manuscript in a given issue.Articles published by UTSePress are protected by copyright which is retained by the authors who assert their moral rights. Authors control translation and reproduction rights to their works published by UTSePress. UTSePress publications are copyright and all rights are reserved worldwide. Downloads of specific portions of them are permitted for personal use only, not for commercial use or resale. Permissions to reprint or use any materials should be directed to UTSePress via the journal's main editor, Alison Brown, BrownAM@Cardiff.ac.uk.</p>journal@clgf.org.uk (Diane Bowden)sufei.tan@uts.edu.au (Su Fei Tan)Fri, 19 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +1100OJS 2.4.7.1http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60Editorialhttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4838
<p>Good news at last – the path for local government involvement in Habitat III is finally approved. On the 22 December 2015, the United Nations adopted resolution A/70/473 on procedures for Habitat III (the <em>United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development</em>) to recognise the participation of accredited local authorities, as happened in Habitat II in 1996. Municipal, local and regional governments can now register for Habitat III either through their national delegations or an accredited NGO. Until December it was not clear that local government – the main implementing agency for the Habitat III and sustainable development agendas – would be involved in the UN member-state conference, but following extensive lobbying local government will now have a presence on this global platform. Meanwhile the 2nd <em>World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments</em>, will be held in Quito in on 17–20 October 2016, in parallel to the Habitat III conference. </p>Alison Brown
Copyright (c) 2016 Alison Brown
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4838Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:38 +1100Supporting local governance and local economic development – some experiences from Swazilandhttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4839
<p>In the December 2012 issue of this Journal, Lucy Slack and Susan Rhodes (2012) of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) introduced a new CLGF programme focussing on improving governance and service delivery at local level in selected Commonwealth countries in Southern and West Africa and South Asia (CLGF no date; CLGF 2015). The initiative is in the third year of its four-year lifespan and it is opportune to examine progress made so far towards achieving the development aims sought by the programme funders, CLGF and partners in 2012. This contribution will explore the operationalisation of the programme to date through a snapshot of implementation in one country under the Southern Africa component of the programme, Swaziland. It will briefly describe how the project emerged, what it intends to achieve, examine progress to date and conclude with some observations around what has been learned so far. The paper draws on the author’s work as Regional Adviser for the CLGF Southern Africa Programme based in Pretoria and project documentation (see Acknowledgements). </p>Terry Parker
Copyright (c) 2016 Terry Parker
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4839Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:38 +1100Role of courts in interpreting local government's environmental powers in South Africahttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4840
<p>Local government in post-apartheid South Africa has undergone fundamental transformation. This is evident from its extensive governing powers and functions and its expanded developmental mandate. At the forefront of sustainable development, municipalities have legislative and executive powers to administer the matters listed in Schedules 4B and 5B of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Moreover, matters listed in Schedules 4A and 5A of the Constitution can be assigned to municipalities by national and provincial governments. Like other spheres of government, municipalities are obliged to contribute towards realising s 24 of the Constitution – guaranteeing environmental rights. However, the exact contours of their powers in promoting the objectives of s 24 of the Constitution are ill-defined and subject to ongoing definition by way of legislation, policies and case-law. This article argues that environmental litigation presents courts an opportunity to further redefine the powers of municipalities in fostering constitutional environmental objectives in South Africa. Drawing from Le Sueur and Another v eThekwini Municipality and Others [2013] ZAKZPHC 6 (30 January 2013), this article demonstrates how courts can play an important role in clarifying the environmental powers and functions of municipalities in South Africa. This article is based on a review of legal and extra-legal sources.</p>Oliver Fuo
Copyright (c) 2016 Oliver Fuo
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4840Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:39 +1100Symbolic politics, legalism and implementation: the case of street vendors in Indiahttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4841
<p>This paper is concerned with attempts to manage street vendors in India. Firstly it traces the evolution of attempts at management, through guidelines introduced in 2002, to the 2014 Act which is legally enforceable. The act has not yet been implemented but the State of Madhya Pradesh has implemented its own act which is almost identical. This has been successfully implemented at an administrative level but on the ground nothing has changed. It is suggested that this reflects the importance of symbolic politics and problems of implementation. <em></em></p>Philip Amis
Copyright (c) 2016 Philip Amis
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4841Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:39 +1100Urban agriculture in Botswanahttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4842
<p>Botswana, a middle-income country, is experiencing a sluggish economic growth and a rapid urbanisation which has brought in its wake high unemployment, poverty and food insecurity. This has led some people to engage in subsistence and commercial urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) to address these problems. However, in spite of its known advantages, uptake of UPA has been low for a number of reasons including: high GDP before the economic meltdown of recent years; a harsh climate; lack of water; poor access to land; and over-reliance on generous government handouts. Nevertheless, the extent of its practice and its contribution to food security – albeit modest – shows that it is a sector that needs to be encouraged and supported. Both central and local government can play a big role by providing land and infrastructure, and also by implementing an enabling policy and regulatory environment which promotes small- and medium-scale urban food production.</p>Aloysius Clemence Mosha
Copyright (c) 2016 Aloysius Clemence Mosha
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4842Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:40 +1100Women’s leadership in local government in the Caribbeanhttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4843
<p>Women and men are traditionally cast in different roles, with males being leaders in the workplace, home and government. In contrast, communities promote women as caregivers who support male leaders and shape future generations as mothers, mentors and teachers. In recognition of this societal view of women that often led to inequality and inequity, the UNDP listed Gender Equality and empowering women as one of eight Millennium Development Goals. The post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the United Nations in autumn 2015, also included gender equality and empowering women as Goal 5.</p><p>In its work in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED) examined gender as it relates to micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) development in six Caribbean countries. The findings of this study showed gender gaps for both male and female entrepreneurs in different areas of development. Traditionally gendered roles for MSME sectors, access to financing and lack of adequate guidance or community support were some areas that affected men and women differently in the region. </p><p>The study outlines ways in which male and female leaders can address traditional gender roles by identifying priority areas for development, creating an enabling environment for start-ups and expansion, and fostering a policy and legislative base that facilitates ease of doing business. The recommendations further describe the public–private partnerships needed to successfully meet gender gaps, and the importance of both elected officials and technocrats in inter alia community engagement and advocacy towards local economic development.</p><p>The importance of gender equality among elected officials and technocrats, and the influence gender has on determining priority areas of focus within local government strategic plans for communities are also set out within this paper. </p>Kizzann Lee Sam
Copyright (c) 2016 Kizzann Lee Sam
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4843Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:40 +1100Network governance and capacity of local governments to deliver LED in Ugandahttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4844
<p>This paper discusses network governance and its contribution to the capacity of local governments (LGs) to deliver local economic development (LED) in Uganda. Although a formal LED policy was only established in Uganda in February 2014, there have been LED-inspired practices in the past decade. Various scholars and practitioners have observed that the autonomy and capacity of LGs to deliver LED is limited, but have been hopeful that new governance strategies like network governance would increase the capacities of LGs. However, neither network governance arrangements among LGs, nor their potential to improve governance capacity, have been documented. In a case study of Kyenjojo District, this paper finds that existing network governance arrangements have been fundamental in improving financial autonomy at this LG, delivering some income to invest in LED activities, although no evidence was found of reduced transaction costs in transforming local economies. The study further reveals that network governance arrangements have not led to the development of specialised skills in regulation or law enforcement, and capacity gaps are evident amongst staff and members in understanding the private sector and how it works. On a positive note, there is clear evidence of attempts by the LG to be innovative. Based on these findings, this study recommends that LGs need to consider a multi-pronged or multi-network governance approach to LED, which in turn will require a refocusing of governance mechanisms to become more dynamic and responsive, and offer incentives to the various actors in the development sector.</p>Rose B Namara, Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija, Betty C Mubangizi
Copyright (c) 2016 Rose B Namara, Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija, Betty C Mubangizi
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4844Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:41 +1100Learning in Australian local government: A roadmap for improving education & traininghttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4845
<p>Faced with a context of national and state reform agendas as well as resource scarcity, Australian local government has pressing workforce development issues. This level of government is small in scale, geographically dispersed and subject to variations in state jurisdiction. These factors represent structural constraints to identifying and advocating a national approach for addressing workforce needs such as the provision of tailored education and professional development. This paper documents a sector consultation process exploring education and professional development for local government which aimed to identify needs on both supply and demand sides. The research found that aspirations for education and professional development tailored to the needs of local government aim to support the development of better local governance and leadership, and to address critical skills shortage issues. This may provide empirical grounds for promoting, planning, implementing and evaluating capacity-building initiatives in this third tier of government in the Australian federation.</p>Ronald Woods, Sarah Artist, Geraldine O’Connor
Copyright (c) 2016 Ronald Woods, Sarah Artist, Geraldine O’Connor
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4845Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:41 +1100Public participation in services delivery projects in Buikwe District Local Government Ugandahttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4846
<p>Public participation as a democratic right has gained wide acceptance in local governance, both to improve accountability in service delivery and to enhance civic consciousness. Uganda now has two decades’ experience of various forms of decentralisation. However, the extent of public participation both in local planning and in holding local politicians to account has been inconsistent. Taking Buikwe District local government as a case study, the authors argued that three key factors influence public participation in local governance – access to information, ability to use information effectively, and awareness of citizens’ rights, roles and responsibilities. They found that these factors positively influenced overall respondents’ participation in local government projects by 10.2%, 19% and 22% respectively based on Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The study further found that information is not readily accessible or effectively disseminated to the majority of citizens and therefore is not fully harnessed for planning, monitoring and evaluating government projects. Reasons for this inadequate access included: limited and costly infrastructure for handling information: lack of skills in relation to how and when to use information; and lack of analytical and simplification skills among those disseminating information. In light of these findings, the paper recommends that information dissemination must be planned and carried out in a targeted and systematic way, if citizens’ awareness of their rights, roles and responsibilities in service delivery is to be achieved.</p>Sylvester Kugonza, Robert Mukobi
Copyright (c) 2016 Sylvester Kugonza, Robert Mukobi
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4846Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:42 +1100Mobilising internally generated funds to finance development projects in Ghana’s Northern Regionhttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4848
<p>This paper assesses the effectiveness of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana’s Northern Region in mobilising internally generated funds (IGF) to finance development projects. The study gathered both primary and secondary data from three MMDAs: Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Yendi Municipal Assembly and Saboba District Assembly. It employed a multi-stage sampling technique of questionnaires, interviews, focus groups and key informant interviews to collect data from respondents and obtain a snapshot of their situation in the 2013 fiscal year. It established that fines, property rates, licences, annual rates, investment income, permits, sales of tender documents, and business taxes were potential sources of revenue for the assemblies. Also, the study identified a range of strategies employed by assemblies to raise revenue: engagement of revenue collectors, use of a mobile revenue taskforce, registration of businesses, visits to markets and business centres, commission payments for revenue collectors, security checkpoints, incentivisation of revenue collectors, establishment of revenue collection points, and rotation of revenue collectors. Nevertheless, the study found that the MMDAs studied could not meet their IGF revenue targets for the 2013 fiscal year, with all three falling below 50%. This poor performance was attributed to: inadequate logistics to support effective IGF mobilisation; under-declaring of revenues; not enough revenue collectors; poor supervision and monitoring; poor compliance by ratepayers; corruption; political interference; inadequate knowledge and skills among revenue collectors; poor service delivery by the assemblies; ineffective collaboration; and lack of revenue data. </p>Felix Puopiel, Musah Chimsi
Copyright (c) 2016 Felix Puopiel, Musah Chimsi
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4848Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:42 +1100The ‘silent pistol’ in Ghana’s local government system: presiding members vs. chief executiveshttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4849
<p>Decentralisation and local governance aim at local economic development, but collaboration among key actors at the local level is essential in realising this objective. However, at district assembly level Ghana exhibits problematic conflicts between district chief executives (DCEs), who head the executive committee, and presiding members (PMs) who convene and preside over assembly deliberations, acting as speaker. This study aims to unpack the main causes of such unsavoury conflicts by using 13 case studies from the Ashanti Region. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. Primary data was gathered from a selection of 40 key informants drawn from three main groups including DCEs, PMs, and other stakeholders such as regional coordinating council members, assembly members and chiefs. The main research instrument was one-on-one in-depth interviews with participants. The study found deep-seated conflicts between DCEs and PMs, in some cases even transcending these two actors to involve a greater section of actors within the local government administration. The study noted that professional bureaucrats within the local government service are affected when allegations of affiliation are levelled against them. The study also found that the legal status of DCEs and PMs appears to be the main driver of potential conflict, although other context-specific issues were also prevalent.</p>Issah Justice Musah-Surugu, Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah
Copyright (c) 2016 Issah Justice Musah-Surugu, Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4849Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:43 +1100Local government administration in Nigeria: the search for relevancehttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4850
In the general discourse on the local government system in Nigeria, two major influences are notable: the intervention of the military in politics, and the 1976 reform of local government. However, the 1979 constitution, which provided the legal framework for the 1976 reforms, plunged the local government system into a crisis of identity, and ever since local government in Nigeria has remained an idea in search of relevance. This paper examines both the inherent weakness of the constitutional foundation and the contradictions created by the 1976 reforms. Using a theoretical analysis, the paper finds that the combined effects of constitutional gaps and reform contradictions have rendered Nigeria’s system of local government an unfortunate ‘orphan’, and that, lacking a strong constitutional foundation, local government in Nigeria has been subject to the whims of both state and federal governments. The paper argues that, despite numerous constitutional developments, current constitutional provisions for local government in Nigeria leave much to be desired. The recommendations to improve the system include that: local government should be given the status of a federating unit in the constitution, with its powers and functions clearly spelt out; the constitutionally mandated State Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA) should be abolished; and the constitution should be amended to create a chapter which guarantees the identity and autonomy of local government as a third tier of government.Ozohu-Suleiman Abdulhamid, Paul Chima
Copyright (c) 2016 Ozohu-Suleiman Abdulhamid, Paul Chima
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4850Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:43 +1100Perspectives on Australian Local Government Reform edited by Brian Dollery and Ian Tileyhttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4851
<p>Academic books emerge in a variety of ways. Some are the result of pure serendipity. For instance, in February 2011 Brian Dollery and I were completing a report that delved into the conceptual and theoretical foundations of shared services. Brian had also co-authored several case studies of shared services in Australian local government over the years, some of which I had contributed to. </p>Bligh Grant
Copyright (c) 2016 Bligh Grant
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4851Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:43 +1100Local Governance in Bangladesh: Policy and Strategy Frameworkhttps://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4852
<p>The author argued that the absence of a local governance policy is a priority governance problem in Bangladesh, which affects effective implementation of decentralisation policies and programmes sporadically undertaken from time to time. Democratic decentralisation in line with fiscal autonomy and local administrative reforms have been in limbo for over three decades. The absence of a clear policy affects institutional linkages of the local government bodies. In some cases overlapping of functions are evidenced in different local government institutions, while in other cases lack of coordination and inter-agency cooperation are also evident. More importantly, unless Bangladesh does develop an aggregated local governance policy, it will not have a vision and road map for development of local governance.</p>Tofail Ahmed
Copyright (c) 2016 Tofail Ahmed
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https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/cjlg/article/view/4852Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:46:44 +1100